OP0287-PARE PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH
Authors: L. Campbell, N. Evans, M. Skrybant, L. Group, K. Dziedzic
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is now common practice in the design and delivery of arthritis research studies in the UK. Yet PPIE in the implementation of this research into practice is a novel and developing area. Coordinated, planned collaboration and relationship building with patients and the public in communities and health settings into which research will be implemented can facilitate greater impact of research findings. It can provide patients with accessible evidence based knowledge to enable more control in decision making about their own condition. <h3>Objectives</h3> To describe the work of an established group of patients and the public working collaboratively alongside healthcare professionals, researchers and knowledge brokers to actively implement arthritis research evidence into practice. <h3>Methods</h3> The Link Group (n=10 members) meets six times a year to provide meaningful patient and public input and oversight to all implementation projects delivered by the Impact Accelerator Unit, Keele University (UK). Members have links to community, charity, public and patient networks, helping to facilitate the movement of knowledge and evidence based innovations into wider use, nationally and internationally. Link Group task and finish meetings take place according to project demand to co-create strategies to implement research evidence. Roles and responsibilities are identified early on, members attend project operational core groups and ongoing feedback on implementation progress is provided. Link Group members work with researchers (to ensure evidence based messages are included in innovations), healthcare professionals (to discuss how innovations can be best used in clinical practice) and knowledge brokers (to design the finished output and collate all information). Patients, carers and the public contribute valuable knowledge to the process of implementation, including their own experiences of living with arthritis, attitudes and beliefs regarding the healthcare system and knowledge of networks to open up new ways to share innovations. <h3>Results</h3> Link Group members have: Co-developed funding applications and research designs to ensure early preparation for implementation, providing advice and support for methods of impact and implementation to be considered by researchers. Co-created patient facing resources in a range of formats and for different demographics. For example, evidence based guidebooks, posters, leaflets, animations and infographics for people with arthritis and people with long term pain and mental health (www.jigsaw-e.com / www.beefree.org.uk). The Link Group make sure the language in patient facing resources is easily understood, visuals are engaging and diversity is represented. Co-developed a simple, trusted guide summarising current physiotherapy arthritis research, making complex information more accessible and consequently supporting high-quality care by facilitating discussions between patients and physiotherapists (https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Moving-Forward-FINAL-August-2020_Pages.pdf). Taken patient facing innovations and resources into local community and volunteer groups, given talks at peer-to-peer information events and shared resources digitally via social media to networks. <h3>Conclusion</h3> PPIE in implementation can facilitate the successful implementation of research evidence into practice, for the benefit of people with arthritis. An established patient and public group can provide community insight and 'real world' perspective which can strengthen diversity and reach, and make evidence based research innovations more accessible, relatable and useful in clinical practice. Link Group members have developed a sense of ownership of the innovations that are being implemented and as such are passionate about their work: <i>"Straightforward information and practical advice, choosing words and pictures to reflect a healthy life, working closely as a team, a cog within a wheel, creating something special, a resource with appeal"</i> - Link Group member. <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> LC &amp; Link Group: part funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Health Research Collaboration (ARC) West Midlands (NIHR 200165) KD is part funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Health Research Collaboration (ARC) West Midlands (NIHR 200165) and is an NIHR Senior Investigator (ID NIHR 200259). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> None Declared.